2011 REBELLION

In February 2011, following the tide of popular uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt, Libyan protesters rose in revolt against the regime of Col. Muammar Qadhafi, who has been in power since a military coup in 1969. Early protests took place in Tripoli, the Libyan capitol. in Beghazi, far to the east, rebel activity was able to overcome Libyan military in that area. Two Libyan Air Force fight planes, ordered to attack civilian targets, defected and flew to Malta for asylum.

Rebel forces managed to take control of Benghazi and on March 5, 2011, an Interim Transitional National Council, based in Benghazi, met for the first time. The Council declared itself the sole representative of Libya. The council has said it will act as the face of the rebellion against Qadhafi’s rule but that it is not an interim government.

A number of dissident groups exist in Libya and in other countries. The National Front for the Salvation of Libya (NFSL), the Libyan National Army (LNA) and the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG) are perhaps the best known groups in the external opposition. The LIFG alledgly linked to al-Qaeda and banned in the UK.

The Libyan regime had put down previous uprisings in the rebellious Eastern region in 1993 and 1996. In February 2006, a demonstration in Benghazi left about 11 people dead.

By 10 March 2011, Qadhafi's forces launched counter attacks to regain control. Although world media is strictly controlled and denied access to many areas, reports by phone and social networks reported increasingly distrubing accounts of regime violence and the massacre of civilians. Libyan military reportedly fired on ambulances, attacked citizens in hospitals and began dooor-to-door searches for dissidents.

The international community froze regime assets and imposed travel bans on the Qadhafi family. Col. Qadhafi has 8 sones and a daughter. Saif Qadhafi serves as a government minister and has appeared as a spokesman for the government. Col. Qadhafi's public statements have been rambling and non-sensical, at least to western audiences, many of whom suspect that Liby's leader is unhainged and delusional.

Calls for international intervention to protect lives and impose a protective no-fly zone over Libya were taken to the UN. Libyan refugees have flooded across the borders into Egypt to the east and Tunisia in the West. Skeptics claim that the US, UK and EU countries are reluctant to take definitive action because they fear Qadhafi's retaliation and impact on oil world markets. On March 17, 2001, with backing from the Arab League, the UN Security Council authorized international intervention of whatever form necessary to protect civilians. Qadhafi announced a ceasefire within 24 hours.

Libya is a major producer of oil, gas and petrochemicals, located just across the Mediterranean Sea from primary markets in Italy, France, Germany, Turkey, Spain and the UK. Oil represents 20% of GDP.

BACKGROUND

Colonel Muammar Al Qadhafi siezed power in a military coup in September 1969, deposing the monarchy of King Idris. At the time Libya was one of the poorest country's in Africa.

Qadhafi instituted a series of reforms supporting farmers and expanding irrigated land. He nationalized many of the foreign indutries, including the oil sector, while providing health care and 25% profit sharing for industrial workers. Prosperity improved and Libya became one of the most affluent African countries.

Qadhafi’s introduced his own unique political philosophy, called the Third Universal Theory, and published his ‘Green Book,’ which became required reading. The Green Book combined elements of Islam, socialism and Bedouin tradition, while rejecting many aspects of Marxist communism and Western capitalism. Third Universal Theory calls for direct rule by the people through a series of committees or ‘Jamahiriya’. Libya's economic successes led Qadhafi to expend his influence internationally and he promoted his Third Universal Theory as a solution for other developing nations. He remounced his operational positions in government in exchange for the title, to become “Leader of the Revolution and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.”

He is known in Libya as "Brother Leader." A shrewd and ruthless leader, he has survived more than six known coup attempts during his 42 years in power. Along with his philosophical evangelism, Qadhafi also expended Libya's military role in Africa.

BRIEF HISTORY

Throughout much of its history the Libyan people have been dominated by foreigners - Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Greeks, Romans, Vandals and Byzantines swept through North Africa ruled all or parts of Libya.

The Arabs conquered North Africa in the seventh century AD. In the following centuries, most of the indigenous peoples adopted Islam and the Arabic language and culture. The Ottoman Turks conquered the area in the 16th century. Italy invaded in 1911 and gradually expanded its area of control.

In 1934, Italy adopted the name "Libya" (used by the Greeks for all of North Africa, except Egypt) as the official name of the colony. Libyans resisted the Italian occupation between the two World Wars, led by the Sanussiya religious brotherhood. Sidi Idris al-Senussi returned from exile in 1942 and, with Italy's approval, became Emir of Tripolitania. Following the North Africa campaign in WWII, Italy was displaced as France and England took control.

In 1949, the UN General Assembly passed a resolution calling for Libyan independence in 1952. Libya declared its independence on December 24, 1951. The country became a constitutional and hereditary monarchy under the King Idris I, who had negotiated Libya's independence at the UN.

King Idris ruled the Kingdom of Libya until he was deposed by Qadhafi in a military-led coup in September 1969. The new regime, headed by the Revolutionary Command Council (RCC), abolished the monarchy and proclaimed the new Libyan Arab Republic, under the leadership of "Brother Leader," Col. Muammar Al Qadhafi.

Qadhafi demanded removal of all foreign military installations from Libya and British and American bases were closed by 1970. The Qadhafi regime then expelled thousands of Italian residents. Qadhafi became an ardent supporter of the Palestinian cause and advocated for Arab unity. He sent Libyan military forces into conflicts in neighboring Chad and Western Sahara.

In 1987, a Libyan ship was found to be smuggling arms to the IRA in Northern Ireland and in 1988, terrorists bombed Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie Scotland, killing all 259 people on board. Most of the victims were American and British citizens.

In November 1991, the UK and US issued warrants for two Libyan bombers, but when Qadhafi refused cooperation the UN issued Security Council resolution 731 in 1992. Sanctions were strengthened in November 1993 by Security Council Resolution 883 and remained in effect until 1999. Following secret diplomatic negotiations the Libyan bombers were flown from Tripoli to the Netherlands for trial. The international sanctions ended immediately. One of the two Libyans was convicted in 2003 and appeals followed. In September 2008, the convicted terrorist was diagnosed with terminal cancer and, to public dismay and outrage, was released to return to Libya.

In December 2003, Qadhafi publicy announced that Libya was abandoning its weapon of mass destruction development program and renounce its support of terrorism. The next month, Libya agreed to pay compensation to the families of the Pan Am bombing victims. In 2005, for the first time in 40 years, new oil development contracts were awarded to foreign firms with American companies leading the way. In 2008, the Bush administration restored diplomatic relations between the US and Libya and Secretary of State, Condoleeza Rice traveled to Libya to meet with Muammar Qadhafi. Rarely, are relations restored so quickly and amicably with former terrorists.

2011 Uprising

Inspired by the successful popular uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt, Libyans began protesting against the Qadhafi regime in February 2011. After rebel forces took control of Libya's eastern region, regime forces went on the counter attack, routing protestors and insurgents in and around the capitol in Tripoli.

International concerns center on fears that al-Qaeda could gain influence in a Libya without Qadhafi. However, likely succession of ruling power to Col. Qadhafi's sone Saif raise concerns the the Libyan people could be cast into the darkness of authoritarian control for the foreseeable future. Such conflicting outcomes may help explain the inability of the international community to come to any decisions on a course of action, even against a dictator that supported, or ordered the Pan Am bombing and who has been a pariah for decades - at least until the Pan Am case was settled and noew oil contracts were awarded to the US.

The uprising that began in early 2011 has been characterised by widespread human rights abuses perpetrated against Libyan citizens by forces loyal to the Qadhafi regime. The UN Secretary General has spokeon 1 March of a death toll of over 1,000, with ongoing repression of the population. Speaking at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on 28 February, the Foreign Secretary referred to “gross and systematic violations of (human) rights by the Libyan authorities, including the use of heavy weaponry against civilians, the deaths of women and children and cold-blooded incitement to violence”. US Secretary of State Clinton characterised the Qadhafi regime’s actions as “violating international legal obligations and common decency”. Russia’s Foreign Minister Lavrov condemned the “unacceptable use of military force against the civilian population” in Libya. The EU issued a resolution on 23 February condemning the “excessive and indiscriminate force against peaceful protesters in violation of human rights and international humanitarian law”.

Following United Nations Security Council Resolution 1970 of 26 February, Council Regulation no. 204/2011 was adopted unanimously by the United Nations Security Council on March 2nd. The Regulation provides for an arms embargo, a ban on internal repression equipment, as well as a travel ban and the freezing of funds and economic resources of certain persons and entities involved in serious human rights abuses against persons in Libya, including by being involved in attacks, in violation of international law, on civilian populations and facilities. It condemned use of lethal force by the Qadhafi regime against protesters in Libya and marked the first time a country was unanimously referred to the International Criminal Court (ICC) by the Security Council. On 3 March the ICC Prosecutor opened a formal investigation into the situation in Libya since February 15, after a preliminary review of information available to him.

While France recognized the National Libyan Council (NLC) as the legitimate temporary representative of the Libyan people, the US was less eager to confront Libya, in part due to its new-found oil interests. The UN General Assembly suspended Libya from the Human Rights Council - the first time such an action had ever been taken against a member state. (Incredibly, Libyai had previously chaired the UN Commission on Human Rights.) On March 12, 2011, the Arab League agreed to support a no-fly zone over Libya, opening the door for international action.

 

Capitol: Tripoli
Area: 1,759,540 sq km
Population: 6,085,000

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